“All his references said he was a straight-up guy and very committed to the town,” Finance Board Chairman Brian Stern said. “It’s a volunteer position and takes a lot of time and requires a good deal of dedication, and we felt that he satisfied that criteria.”

Westphal moved from New York City to Westport in 2005 with his wife, Susan, and their children, Jennifer and Daniel. He has worked extensively in transportation and logistics, as well as in mergers and acquisitions at various companies, including UBS and Deutsche Bank. He runs the company he founded, Logistics and Business Services Capital.

Upon Moore’s resignation, Westphal reached out to the Republican Town Committee, and was selected for the opening out of eight applicants.

“They liked the fact that I understood labor contracts and how OPEB (Other Postemployment Benefits) is tied into the labor contracts and the pension issues,” Westphal said. “I wouldn’t do it as a hobby, but when it comes to town government, to me, it’s very naturally engaging to try to sort them all out and to understand how we can develop a strategy to deal with them over time.”

Engagement in the community is one reason Westphal’s family moved to town, and his volunteer service underscores that sentiment.

“What struck me when we moved here was that the community is very involved and engaged, whether it be youth sports or the arts or town government, it has a lot of cultural and social engagement,” Westphal said.